Process of making expanded metal.



0. G.'CLARK. PROCESS OF MAKING EXPANDED METAL. APPLICATION HLED NOV.28.1913

1,1 87,043. Patented June 13, 1916.

1 F 1g. 1 8 F 1g. 3.. Fig: 6

INVENTOI? Duq'glz tjark, v h n I WITNESSES A NORA/Er snares rarnnrorrron.

'DWIGHT G. CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE,' CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO CORRUGATEDBAR- COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

PROCESS OF MAKING EXPANDED METAL.

Specification'of Letters Patent. Patented 13, 1916;

Original application filed May 20, 1908, Serial No. 433,958.

Patent No. 1,080,418, dated December 2, 1913.

Divided and this application filed November 28, 1913. Serial No.803,534.

To all whom it may, concern:

Be it known that I. Dwlmrr G. CLARK, a

citizen oi the United States of America. and

residing at Plainville, in the county of Hartslits alternating withunslitted strips, and

or portions.

spreading apart the parallel unslitted strips The unslitted strips orpertions may have anycross-seetional shape desired by suitably formingthese portions.

Other objects of my invention appear in connection with the followingdescription of the several embodiments of the product illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of apiece of metal stock slitted according to my invention. showing onearrangement oi slitting preparatory to expansion. Fig. 2 shows thearticle produced from the stock shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end viewof the stock, shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4; is a cross section of the articleshown in Fig. 2, taken on the line 4t--t in Fig. 2 looking in thedirection of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a cross section similar to Fig. 4,showing the article in'a modified form produced by bending the unslittedstrips at right angles to the mesh work. Fig. (3 is an end view similarto Fig.

3 showing the stock suitably formed for malnng an article havingunslitted strips of square cross-sectlon. Fig. 7 is a cross section ofthe article produced from the stock shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a. planview of a piece of metal stock showing an arrangeshown in Fig. 8 inwhich the unslitted strips are round in cross section. Fig. 10 is a planview ot a p ece of metatstock howing an arrangement of slitting forproducing an article having mesh-work formed with two rows of meshes.Fig. 11- shows the article produced from the'stock shown in Fig. 10.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 9 ot the drawings, 0

my improved expanded metal consists of a. plurality of parallel strips1- of metal spaced apartand connected by a series of integral frames 2or mesh-work portions. Each frame consists of four strands 3, l, 5, 6

forming a diamond-shaped mesh 7, and preferably turned on edge orinclined relative to the general plane of the artiele. Al-

' though I have shown only three unslitted strlps and two portions ofmesh-work conneeting said strips, the article may be of any width andcontam any number of spaced strips connected as above described.

. The mesh-work portions 2 between the un slitted strips may consist ofdouble or triple rows of meshes, as shown in Figs. 10 and ll accordingto the use to which the article is to be put: and the nnslitted strips 1likewise may be shaped as desired.

It is noted that there is no stretching of So the metal during theoperation of expanding or pulling out the mesh-work portions in makingexpanded metal in accordance with my invention, and hence the stock maybe of harder metal. such as carbon steel. than could be utilized if themetal had to stretch. This advantage is attained by the system ofslitting which characterizes my invention, in whielrthere are an oddnumber of rows of longitudinal slits and certain transverse by crossslits 9, between the ends of the'95 slits 10 in the even numberedrows,-whereby the strands forming the meshes are severed betweensuccessive meshes lengthwise of the rows and upon expanding the metalthe severed ends of the strands pull apart without stretching thestrands.

Another advantage of this invention is the rapidity and ease with whichthe im-. proved article can be manufactured. The

factthat the longitudinal slits of one row are staggered relatively tothe slits of the next adjacent row makes the problem of slitting cparati e y simp as it is only necessary to cut the cross slits9 so as toAnother advantage of this invention is the facility with which it may beadapted to the production of difierent articles. For example, 1n case itis desired to make reinforcement for concrete slabs, the portions of thestock which ultimately form the unslitted strips 1, of the expandedmetal may be of enlarged cross section, as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 9.For metal lathing purposes, and for concrete reinforcement in whichtension bars are not required, some of the unslitted strips may beomitted and thereby a larger proportion of the stock may be slitted andexpanded, the expanded metal thus produced covering a greater area thanthat having unslitted strips between each row of meshes. In case it isdesired to stiffen the expanded metal lengthwise without enlarging thecross section of the stock, some or allof the unslitted strips may bemade of sufiicient width that they may be folded or bent lengthwise intoribbed form in any well knownmanner.

Another advantage of this invention i that, by suitably expanding themetal, the

strands 3, 4, 5, 6 may be caused to take an inclined or oblique positionwith respect to the general plane of the expanded metal, whereby theexpanded metal is stiflened crosswise and the mesh-work portions are 4adapted to become embedded and keyed in the concrete in a highlyeffective manner.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 33,958,filed May 20, 1908, which became Patent No. 1,080,418, December 2, 1913.

What I claim is:

l. The process ol. making an expanded metal having longitudinal memberstransversely connectedby independent disconnected meshed members, whichconsists in slitting a sheet of metal with series of longitudinalparallel slits made at intervals along said sheet, the outside lines ofslits ol said series ol slits being (iOlIlCltlGllt with the edges of theconnected longitudinal members of said. expanded metal; slitting saidsheet with other series of longitudinal parallel slits of substantiallythe same length as the first mentioned series of slits, parallel to.intermediate and between said first mentioned serics'ot' slits, themedial points in said last mentioned series of slits being substantiallyequidistant from the medial points of the adjacent slits of the firstmentioned series, transversely cutting said sheets between the outsideslits of the first mentioned series of slits between the edges of saidlongitudinal members at the medial points of said slits of the firstmentioned series; then stretching said slitted sheet laterally soas toform the meshed members thereof.

2. The process of forming expanded metal having longitudinal and meshedmembers,- Which consists in longitudinally slitting a metal sheet withseries of lines of parallel alternating slits; transversely shearingsaid sheet between itslongitudinal members at the medial points of oneof said series of longitudinal slits so as to permit the forming ofindependent terminally discon nected and separated meshed members Iwhich consists in forming in a sheet, bands of slits separated byunslitted bands, the slits of each slitted band being arranged in an oddnumber of rows, the slits of one row breaking joints with those of theadjacent rows of the same band, the slits of the outermost or oddnumbered rows of each band eing connected by transverse slits which areclear of the slits in the even numbered rows.

4. The process of making expanded metal which consists in slitting asheet of metal in longitudinalbands, then opening out the slittedportion, the slits of each slitted band being arranged in an odd numberof rows, the slits of one row breaking joints with thoseot the adjacentrows of the same band, the slits of each odd numbered row beingconnected to the slits ot' the next odd numbered row by transverse slitspassing between the ends o.l. the slits ol the intervening even numberedrow.

The process of making expanded metal which consists in forming bands ofslits separated by unslitted bands, then opening out the slittedportion, the slits ol each slitted band being arranged in an odd numberol rows and the slits of one row breaking joints with those ole theadjacent rows of the salne band, and transverse slits which are locatedbetween the ends oli slits in the even numbered rows and which connectslits J. (iILMAN, lnnnr S. MoLnAN.

transversely connecting the longitudinal

